Baby carriage gift holder

ABSTRACT

A carriage gift holder comprising: a main body compartment, where the main body compartment includes a base surrounded by at least four walls to create an inner cavity of the main body compartment, where the inner cavity is capable of receiving one or more gifts; a decorative outer layer, where the decorative outer layer covers the main body compartment; a plurality of wheels attached beneath the main body compartment; a handle extending from the box; and a visor positioned to an upper end of the main body compartment, where the main body compartment, the plurality of wheels, the handle and the visor create the appearance of a baby carriage. In one particular embodiment, the inner cavity may include a padding and a decorative edging surrounds an opening to the inner cavity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a card and gift holder shaped and decorated to appear as a baby or infant carriage for a unique and festive design at social gatherings.

2. Description of Related Art

Parties and festivals are enjoyable events shared by groups of people to celebrate a birth, job, trip, anniversary, wedding and more. Many times the parties are decorated with balloons, ribbons, centerpieces, lights, flowers, candles and the like. Typically, the host or hostess selects all of these decorative elements to set the mood and reflect the purpose of the party. As many a good host(ess) know the costs of all the decorations can be very expensive. Each spool of ribbon, bag of balloons, tank of helium, bunch of flowers and strand of lights can add up to be a very costly endeavor. Often the decorator will try to reuse some of the decorations so that their costs are reduced over time.

Recently some products have been developed to serve as not only decorations but also functional items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,276 by Gerald Vincent Smith Jr. discloses a carrier for items wherein a stuffed toy horse also functions as a baby item carrier. The horse includes a pullout changing table, a bottle storage compartment and a food storage area. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,884 by Michelle L. Fernandez discloses an infant accessory system and method of making the same wherein baby items are arranged to simulate a tired cake. The cake functions not only as a decoration for a baby shower but also as a functional gift to the expectant mother. Finally, U.S. Patent Application No. 2009/0108163 by Eric Davis Child et. al. discloses a decorative miniature sled gift card holder. The sled serves as a great decoration at a Christmas party but also functions as a support to hold and contain gifts.

While these items are multipurpose display items, there are still other options and designs that may be developed and enjoyed by the party goers. It would be desirable in the art to provide a baby shower display that may serve as a decorative piece and a functional storage space. It would also be beneficial in the art to provide a decorative piece that may also function as a personal keepsake for the guest of honor after the festivities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a carriage gift holder comprising: a main body compartment, where the main body compartment includes a base surrounded by at least four walls to create an inner cavity of the main body compartment, where the inner cavity is capable of receiving one or more gifts; a decorative outer layer, where the decorative outer layer covers the main body compartment; a plurality of wheels attached beneath the main body compartment; a handle extending from the box; and a visor positioned to an upper end of the main body compartment, where the main body compartment, the plurality of wheels, the handle and the visor create the appearance of a baby carriage. In one particular embodiment, the inner cavity may include a padding and a decorative edging surrounds an opening to the inner cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of a baby carriage gift holder in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a baby carriage gift holder in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description of several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention relates to a gift holder shaped and decorated to appear as a baby or infant carriage for a unique and festive accessory at social gatherings. The present invention provides a baby carriage gift holder to serve as a prop and functional centerpiece at a baby shower. The baby carriage gift holder has the appearance of an old fashioned pram or baby carriage, but instead of being purely decorative it also serves to gather all of the cards and small gifts received at the shower. The uniquely decorated design is crafted especially for expectant mothers and their child, where after the celebration the baby carriage card holder may also be kept as a keepsake or as a functional storage space in the child's room.

Turning now descriptively to the drawing, referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a baby carriage gift holder 100 is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The baby carriage gift holder 100 includes a box 102 to serve as the main body compartment. The box 102 has the appearance of the bed portion of a baby carriage or infant pram. The box 102 includes a base and four surrounding walls to create a cubed shape without a top. The box 102 may be made from cardboard, light wood, Styrofoam or like material. The box 102 may be covered with a decorative outer layer where the decorative outer layer is composed of tissue paper, wrapping paper, newspaper, cloth or paint.

The base and the four surrounding walls compose an inner cavity 108 within the box 102. During use, one or more cards or gifts are placed within the inner cavity 108 for storage until the gifts are opened. Within the inner cavity 108 may be a padding for a softened surface upon which the gifts may rest. Also the padding may provide a more realistic appearance of the bedding within the carriage for the baby carriage gift holder 100. The padding may be made of Styrofoam, pillow stuffing, tissue and the like.

In this particular embodiment, a plurality of wheels 104 may be attached to the box 102. The wheels 104 may be functional wherein the wheels 104 turn and enable the box 102 to roll along a surface. Alternatively, the wheels 104 may be fixed and permanently attached to the box 102, merely to resemble the wheels on the baby carriage. The wheels 104 may be made from a Styrofoam, cardboard, wood, or similar material able to support the weight of the baby carriage gift holder 100.

Attached to an upper end of the box 102 is a visor 106. The visor 106 has the appearance of a cover or visor of the baby carriage. The visor 106 may be covered in a decorative outer layer similar to the box 102 wherein the same material that covers the box 102 also covers the visor 106.

Extending from within the inner cavity 108 of the box 102 may be a handle 110. The handle 110 may protrude at an angle from the inner cavity 108 to ensure that it does not interfere with the visor 106 and for a more realistic resemblance to the handle of a baby carriage. The handle 110 may be made from Styrofoam, cardboard, wood and the like. Similarly, the handle may be covered in a decorative outer layer to match the box 102 and the visor 106.

Surrounding the opening to the inner cavity 108 of the box 102 and the edge of the visor 106 may be a decorative edging 112. The decorative edging 112 may be lace, cotton balls, ribbon, garland or another similarly decorative material.

Attached to the visor 106 may be a fanciful decoration 114. The fanciful decoration 114 may be attached to the top (as seen in FIG. 2) or the sides of the visor 106. The fanciful decoration 114 may be a bow or a sticker or cutout decal. The decal may be a baby, stork, flower, heart or another symbolic baby reference. Hanging from the fanciful decoration 114 may be a plurality of ribbons 116. The ribbons 116 may be curled and arranged in a festive manner around the fanciful decoration 114.

Finally, attached near the rim of the box 102, fastened beneath the decorative edging 112, may be a skirt 118. The skirt 102 may wrap around the rim of the box 102 from where the visor 106 attaches on one side to where the visor 106 attaches on the opposing side. The skirt 118 may be made from a tissue paper, wrapping paper, cloth, lace or similar material to provide a rouched or textured appearance around the box 102.

Referring now to FIG. 2 a perspective view of the baby carriage gift holder 100 is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 better illustrates how the handle 110 extends at an angle from the inner cavity 108. Additionally in FIG. 2 the fanciful decoration 114 attached to the top of the visor 106 is more easily seen. The baby carriage gift holder 100 may be decorated with colors to coordinate with the sex of the honored baby at the baby shower or with the favorite colors of the honored expectant mother. With the unique decorations, the baby carriage gift holder 100 serves as a focal point at the shower, a functional storage space for the guests' gifts and as a cute keepsake for the expectant mother and baby after the shower.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A carriage gift holder comprising: a main body compartment, where the main body compartment includes a base surrounded by at least four walls to create an inner cavity of the main body compartment, where the inner cavity is capable of receiving one or more gifts; a decorative outer layer, where the decorative outer layer covers the main body compartment; a plurality of wheels attached beneath the main body compartment; a handle extending from the box; and a visor positioned to an upper end of the main body compartment, where the main body compartment, the plurality of wheels, the handle and the visor create the appearance of a baby carriage.
 2. The carriage gift holder according to claim 1, where the inner cavity includes a padding.
 3. The carriage gift holder according to claim 2, where the padding includes at least one of Styrofoam, pillow stuffing and tissue.
 4. The carriage gift holder according to claim 1, further including a decorative edging where the decorative edging surrounds an opening to the inner cavity.
 5. The carriage gift holder according to claim 4, where the decorative edging includes at least one of lace, cotton balls, ribbon and garland. 